Improvement in slecping-cars



B. FIELD 8v G. M. PULLMAN.

SLEEPING CAR.

Patented Apr. 5, 1864.

` lNvENTORSf A WITNESSES; /Vf il *A l n., wAsmNsToN D f BEN FIELD, or ALBIoN, N. Y., AND Gao. MQPULLMAN, on crricAGo, ILL.

nviPnovi-:MENTIN SLEEPING-CARS..

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 412, ll @2, datedApril 5, 1864.`

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that we,BEN'FIELD, of Albion, in the county of Orleans and State of New York, and G. M. PULL'MAN, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have inventedanew and useful Improvement in Sleep-A ing-Gars; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accomrection of the arrow opposite to that line. Fig.v

2 is a transverse verticalsection of the same, taken in the plane indicated by the line y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of one of theseats, .the plane of section being indicated by the line zz, Fig. 2, and looking in the direction of the arrow opposite to that line. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan or face view of the back of the seat. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of the same, showing the device for locking the back. Fig. 6 is a partial side `elevation of the same.v Y

Similar letters of reference in the several views indica-te corresponding parts.

This invention relates to certain improvements in that class of sleeping-cars in which the seats can be converted into a continuous couch, and a second tier of couches is provided by a platform, which is raised to the roof of the car when not used and lowered toa convenient height when it is to be used.

AThe invention consists more particularly in certain novel means for locking the backswhen the seats are to be used in their ordinary capacity, and also to a certain novel arrangement for sustaining the upper platform when lowered and to guide it in its up and down motion, and to the combination, with said upper platfg'rm, of hinged trap-doors to form partitions throughout .the carwhen the same is to be used for sleeping. purposes.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use our invention, We will proceed to describe it.l

A represents a railroad-ear built of wood or any other suitable material in the ordinary manner. The seats B are supported on those ends facing the central passage of the car by standardsvC, of the ordinary'eonstruction, and

their opposite ends 'rest on a shoulder, a, projecting from the side ofthe car and extending throughout its whole length.

Dare the backs,which are sustained by arms E E', so that they can be reversed in the usual manner. The arms E are attached to the side of the car by means of pivots b, and the two branches e e* of each of said arms are rigidly connected, the back being hinged to the branch e by means of apivot, or in any other convenient manner, and secured to the branch e* by a spring-catch of peculiar construction, which will be hereinafter more fully described. The

arms Eare connected by means of pivots'i'.

to the standards G, and each of `said arms is composed of two independent branches, e e', both being connected to the standard by means of the same pivot. The branch e. is hinged to one edge of theback', and the branch eit isconnected to the opposite edge by means of the same spring-catch which also secures the branch e* of the arm E. When the back is connected to both branches of each of the arms E E it is heldin the required inclined position like the back of an ordinary car-seat, and it can be reversed in the usual manner.

F is the spring-catch which locks'the branches e* e* of the arms E E. This catch is inserted in one edge of the back, and it is subjected to the action of a spring, f,which forces' the same in the direction of the arrow marked on it in Figs. 4 and 5. Itis provided with two projections,fit fi, which catch into notchesg (see Fig. 6) in the inner surface of the branches e* cit, near to their points. By forcing the spring-catch back inthe directionopposite the arrow marked thereon in Figs. 4 and 5 both branches eln e'i of the arms E E are released simultaneously, and the back can no w be turned down to a horizontal position in line with the seat, as clearly shown in Fig. l. By this arrangement eachpairl of consecutive seats can be converted into a couch, aording sleepingroom for two persons,aud when the back has. been` brought in this position the branch e'* of the arm lE is turned back close downto the standard C, and out of the way of persons entering or leaving the couch.

The upper tier of couches is produced by a series of platforms, G, one of which is represented in Figs. l and 2. This platform is pro vided at its outer edge next to the side of tho car with two hooks, h, which fit intogroovesi M4...

, joining couc in the side of the car. These grooves may be madedirectly in the wood or in pieces of metal yattached'to said sides, and each of said .groovesplatformufhen the sameiis down ready to be used as acouch. Said platform,when lowered,

is sustained vin a horizontal position by two Vextension-braces, l-l, the upper ends of which are hinged to lugs mi inserted into t-he roof of the car, and-which extend in an inclined posi-j ,tion toward `theinner'edge of the platform,

their'lower ends being hinged to lugs n, projecting from the edgesjof the end pieces of said platform. Each of the braces l ismade of two parts, l l, which rare connected by sleeves o' o,l the sleeve o being ti'rmly secured to the end of the part l and made to slide on the part l,aand thesleeve '0 being firmly attachedto the' part l and made to slide on the part l', each brace is thus allowed to extend as the platform is lowered and to contract as the platform is raised, and when theplatform is down the' sleeve o bears'against the sleeve o', and the further extension of the brace is prevented.v

The platform G is provided with two hinged trapgdoors', H H', one on top and one at the bottom attached in such a manner that when the door His turned up and the doorH down a complete artitjon is formed between the adlhes, The door H is retained in its. uprightposition by 'a bolt, p, and the door Il; when turned down, catches in" two sockcts, q, secured to the ends of one of the backs.

When turned up this door is securedto thel under sid'e of the platform G by a'bolt or other suitable device. When the platform is' raised it is retained in .a suitable recess under the roof by means of a bolt or catch, and if said platform is up .and the backs of the seats fastened by the spring-catches F the car has in every respect Athe appearance of an ordinary car, and the seats can b e used precisely in thc same manner:

`The Wholel construction of our car is such that itcan be `'readily converted into asleeping-car, the platform can belowered .Without trouble, and all its parts are so constructed that they are not liable to get'out of order.

What' we claim as new,- and'desire to secure by Letters Patent, is`- 21. The spring-catch F, arranged inthe edge of the back D of a car-seat, and operating in combination with the notched branches'e* e* of the hinged arms E E', substantially as and for the purpose specified; 2. Making the arm E out' of twoindependently-hinged branches. e c, as and for the purpose set forth. u 3. The eXtension-br'acesland groovedgnides t', in combination with -the hooks h and with .the platform G, constructed and operating as l and vfor the purpose described.

BEN FIELD. l GEO. M PULLMAN.-

Witnesses to the signature of Ben Field:

W. HAUFF, HENRY MORRIS.' Witnesses to the signature of G.M ..Pullm`an:

SIMEoN W. K1NG, GRANT GooDRicH; 

